Chapter 10

Ranvijay was usually a very calm and composed man. Worst of the situations hadn't been strong enough to sway his mind ever. He'd dealt with enemies for so long as he remembered and was never perturbed as much as he was right then. He knew it was going to lead everything south, but he was fucking tempted to take the risk. 

His discipline, his self-control and his patience all fell apart like the rotten thread of a worn out garment as soon as Matsyaa's sweet scent hit him like a wall. She knew how to tease senses. The grapes mixed with vanilla and another sickeningly sweet smell had his nerve endings at fire. He closed his eyes and breathed a sigh. 

Damn! He came there to only talk to her. But he wasn't sure if he wanted to use his mouth just for saying something. He wanted more. A touch so intimate and so deep that she would feel his imprints on her soul. Like he had stamped her. And he liked the idea. He wanted to claim his territory, so that others would know she was his.

'Only mine!'

"Did you like it, Matsyaa?" He repeated and she blinked, her expressions shifting from blank to frown. "I don't understand. What are you saying? My brother bought this one for me."

"He just paid for it. I chose the dress." He smirked and she puffed her face, snarling at him. "And who told you to do that? Why did you choose the dress for me? Who the hell are you?" 

"You know me very well. You Wikipedia-ed me," He humored, making her gasp. She had her mouth open in shock. Ranvijay looked away to not get distracted. He wasn't there to kiss her — not until he got the answer he needed from her. 

"Never mind! I liked the dress. I thought it'd look good on you, and I wasn't wrong." He slid his gaze on her body, "You look breathtaking. I just couldn't keep my eyes off you. It was so hard. Can you imagine how hard it was for me to be in the middle of a hundred people and not be able to look at you up close?" 

He rested his head against her forehead, inhaling the same breath as hers. "How hard it is to be tired to the bones just to get you out of my mind and still having you in my dreams? How hard it is to push you away when I just want to pull you closer and hide you in me?" He eyed her trembling, frozen lips before looking into her eyes. "Do you know how hard it is not kiss you when I want to sample every inch of your skin?"

Her throat worked as she gulped a breath before she pressed her hands on his chest and pushed him with all her strength. "Get off me, you pervert. What the hell are you doing? Are you fucking insane?"

"No, Matsyaa, I'm not insane. I'm just stating the facts. The troubles you're making me go through, and how you are just messing with my mind. I wish I had any other way but it's the truth. I want you. And, I'd like to marry you." He proposed plainly and she blasted on him as if he'd pushed the wrong button. "To hell with you! How did you even think I'd marry someone like you? What do I know about you? What do you know about me?"

"You won't want me to tell how much I know about you, and I can tell you whatever you want to know about me. Ask away," he invited, calmly. Matsyaa merely stared at him. Ranvijay judged her look and rubbed a spot above his eyebrow, "I know, sweetheart, it's too sudden for you. But I couldn't wait. I would've come to your house but I've a very busy schedule for the next whole week. Take it as an only option for me to talk to you. So, if you agree…"

His words trailed off as a loud crack of a palm stung on his cheek. It happened so fast that he couldn't even understand. Her angry huffs dominated the air. Where the hell were his instincts? Were they fucking paralysed, like he was? He clenched his fist and his teeth grounded, as he tried to control the rage coursing in his veins. His stormy eyes looked upon Matsyaa darkly. 

"I never thought someone like you would stoop so low. You're disgusting!" She spat, her expressions matching the loathe in her words. "Do the people outside know your true colors? Do they know how nasty you are? They say you're the crown prince. Is this how you behave with a girl you've met once? Stalk her, corner her in the bathroom and threaten her?"

"Threaten you?" Ranvijay hissed through his clenched jaw. "If I'd any intention to threaten you, you wouldn't be standing here, glaring at me and shouting, not to mention the slap!" He took a step closer to her, using his whole body to crowd her space. "You'd be at my feet, begging mercy, Matsyaa Rathore!"

"Don't take my name." She retorted with the equal heat. "I'm not afraid of men like you. If you know about me, just imagine what will happen to you when I walk out of here and tell my family about your stunt."

"Really? What are they gonna do? Beg me to forget about you?" Ranvijay humored, riling her up. He wanted to know her limits. She was different than what they summed her up. She threw a dirty look at him, "Just wait and watch, you stinking pig! I'm going to ruin you."

Ranvijay laughed openly, shaking his head. "I love your confidence. You do things like this and then you expect me to not fall for you. How is that even possible? Why are you so naive?" He lifted a finger to trace the outline of her face and she jerked her face away from his touch, "Your family is nothing in front of me, Matsyaa. If I want, I can trample them under my feet like ants. So you better don't do anything stupid and get yourself in trouble, because I'm not sure about me but you will definitely ruin yourself."

"Just because I didn't accept your gifts and it bruised your ego, you're doing this to me or are you like this with every other girl?" She asked him, frowning so hard that her face muscles hurt. 

Ranvijay pulled her with a tug and she bumped into his chest, his eyes looking straight into her terrified ones, "You aren't any other girl. You are my girl, Matsyaa. I chose you for myself. I can do whatever I want with you."

"No, you can't. I'm not yours. I don't…" She gasped when he laced his arms around her and hugged her tightly. His face dipped in the crook of her neck and his nose played along the length of her shoulder. "God! I missed you. I missed you so much. It's been a week and I already feel like it's been an era since I last touched you." 

He was ecstatic, having her in his arms. She was the world to him. A girl he'd just seen once meant so much to him and she had no idea. His life was a barren land in which she came as the first rain. There was a steel cage around his heart and the key was thrown in her soul. He was a man invincible, but in front of her, he was powerless, restless and vulnerable. 

On the other hand, Matsyaa found it hard to breathe. Her heart threatened to claw out of her chest when his lips dusted over her jaw, trailing way up to her cheeks. His fingers played upon her back, teasing the knot of strings which secured her blouse. He pulled his hands from the sides of her waist to her arms and cupped her jaw, angling her face up until his gaze bore into hers.  

"I can't stand this distance between us, love. I want you. I want you for all my days and all my nights. You are mine. Only mine. In every sense. With every respect. By every means. Just mine." He leaned his mouth and claimed her lips, sending chills down her spine. She clutched the sides of her skirt, feeling her head dizzying. 

Matsyaa wanted to scream, shout and fight him but her voice was lost. Her limbs were lazy as though someone was holding her down. Tears flowed from her eyes. She could do nothing but stand like a statue. When her warm tears fell upon his moving lips and he tasted salt, Ranvijay came back to his senses and pulled back from her. 

Her reaction was burning him as though he was standing under the coal rain. She closed her eyes and shuddered into a sob, covering her mouth. Hiccups escaped her lips despite her trying to stop. He could feel that nothing he said would salvage the situation. Ranvijay rubbed his face and sighed into his palms. 

"Matsyaa, I… I didn't want to scare you. It just… it happened. I didn't plan on this. Don't fear me, sweetheart." He murmured, lifting a hand as he saw her practically shivering. He wondered how she was steady on her legs when her body was shaking badly. Matsyaa staggered away from his touch and held up a hand, "Don't… Don't touch me!" 

Her face was red; mixed with rage, tears and embarrassment. He tried to apologize once again, but she didn't respond to him and turned to unlock the door. She didn't even look at him. It was a bad idea to come there in the first place. She had just taken a step out and she felt him pulling the strings on her back. 

Her top fell loose on her torso. 

"Ranvijay!" She exhaled his name, crossing arms over her chest. He let out a weary sigh, pulling the strings until her back touched his chest. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I know this is just getting worse. And trust me, I didn't plan any of these." He told her, removing her hair from her back to her shoulder and working on the knot. "But when we're at it, I want to close this conversation once and for all. Comfortable?" 

He cocked his head to the side and she nodded, feeling the blouse tightening on her bust. He replaced her hair and kneaded her shoulders, kissing her earshell. "I'll come to your home after next week. Make up your mind till then, and don't do anything stupid. I warned you already. Okay?"

She dumbly nodded again. Ranvijay could feel the tremors in her body. She was shaken up badly, and he knew that she would definitely do something stupid even after he told her not to. He kissed her shoulder, rubbing her arms to relieve her. He didn't want to leave her so soon, not exactly after knowing how she tasted. 

"Let me go!" She mumbled when he didn't leave her. He dipped his nose in the crook of her neck and inhaled sharply, his arms lacing over her stomach. "Give me a minute! I have to survive two weeks without you. Need something to remember you by!"

"Ranvijay…."

"You know Matsyaa, I never apologized to anyone as much in my life as I've done to you." He put his chin on her shoulder and looked at her sideways, "You are special, you know. Not because I've fucked up too much, but only because I'm scared to lose you. I've never been scared before. Not in a long time, at least." 

"I need to go!" She reminded him plainly and he blew out a sigh, unlocking his arm cage around her. He straightened up and looked at her small head, "Right. Go!"

She didn't say a word and marched towards the door when he stopped her again, "Just remember one thing, Matsyaa. If I want something, and I'm being polite enough to ask, I don't take 'no' as an answer. I really hope you come to me willingly, or you're worth shedding blood for. I'll see you soon, sweetheart. Really soon!"

Matsyaa swallowed the breath wedging in her throat and ran out of there on her unsteady legs. Ranvijay stared into the space and reanalyzed his actions in his mind, but her closeness, her touch against his skin and her sweet scent gave him a clean chit. She was fated to him. She just didn't know about it. He was taking what was his - what was made for him and it was Matsyaa. 

Matsyaa Mrityunjay Rathore!